Ghosts of Sol4
by Awatere11
Summary: This is my take of Ghosts of Mars, a wonderful Carpenter classic. Mars if 4th from the sun for those who may ask about the title. Rated for a wee bit o smut couldn't resist, I've tagged those chaps at the beginning for those more "Chaste" amongst us. Love yas
1. Chapter 1

Chap 1

 _For weeks, rumours have spread across Mars, from outposts to settlements, from town to town.  
Something that had been buried for centuries has just been uncovered. And as this mysterious force  
moves across the southern valley, it leaves behind only silence and death.  
_

A woman walks across the floor and faces a panel of her peers.

"Take your seats, please. I just talked with the Agency. They're concerned that the rumours are getting out of control. They'd like to make a statement in two hours. Some of you may not know we've had another incident." She pauses and forms her next sentence carefully, "At 1520 hours yesterday a freight train, Trans Myfanwy 74 Yankee, returned from the southern valley on auto pilot."

"Initial reports indicated it was a ghost train. It appeared no one was aboard until a single survivor was discovered in a rear compartment."

She taps the screen behind her and it flickers into life, "Lieutenant Ianto Jones, second officer for a  
squad of escort Agents. They were assigned to transfer a prisoner from the jail at Shining Cardiff Mine  
back here to Torchwood."

As the handsome face of Ianto Jones fills the screen, several panellists lean forward with interest, some with fear, "Lieutenant Jones was taken to hospital under guard. He had superficial wounds but was in otherwise good physical condition. However, traces of an illegal substance, tetromonochloride, were found in his system."

The woman turned and spoke to the guard standing to attention at the door, "Bring him in, please."

Ianto marched in, a slight limp the only tell that he was injured. He snapped off a salute to the panel.

"Lieutenant Jones, please be seated."

"Do I get a lawyer, or don't Agency officers have rights these days?" Jones stayed standing defiantly.

"Representation by counsel won't be necessary. Your rights are protected by the Agency." She assured him, "You can speak freely."

"Then I'm not being charged?" Ianto showed open confusion.

"Sit down, lieutenant." She demanded and as he moved to the chair she continued talking, "This is a discovery hearing, and your presence is required as ranking officer. I want your After Action Report.  
Where's the rest of your team? The prisoner you were sent to pick up? What happened at Shining Cardiff?"

Ianto looked nervously at the panel then began to speak.

"Last Friday at 1750, we were slamming through a dust storm on the edge of the southern valley. 74 Yankee was an ore hauler servicing the mines in the outer sector. My squad was hitching a ride  
into Shining Canyon."

Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4

"You beat me." John Hart laughed as he pretended to glare at Owen Harper across the table of the skimmer, "Looks like you've played Tarts before."

"No, I never done this." Owen laughed as he won another hand.

"Let's spin them again." John barked with annoyance, "One down and one up. Fuck me, the Five of Bats.  
You've got the Wheel. What's your wager?"

Owen leers, "Five bucks."

A young woman struggled down the centre aisle and kneels by a sleeping woman. The young Asian woman, Toshiko Sato, is pretty in a timeless way, her hair swinging around her face as she leans to wake the older black woman.

"Lisa. Hey." Tosh said softly as she touched Lisa Hallett, who sat up with surprise as she blinks and looks about.

"Sorry." Tosh grimaced, "Weather station's tracking a huge storm across the southern sector and we're right under it by now."

"What's the mark on it?" Lisa yawned and checked where the rest of the team were within her sight.

"We should be there by 1800." Tosh says then grabs for the back of a nearby seat as the skimmer if buffeted by wind.

"So, just let me know if you need anything." Tosh smiled before moving back to her seat.

Lisa looked for Ianto and found him in a bottom bunk, drifting.

Lisa leaned in and shook Ianto "Ianto! You high?"

"Fuck, Lisa, it's just Clear." Ianto slapped at her hand as he woke, "Be straighter than this trip long before we hit the canyon."

"You better be. This prisoner transfer is no sleepwalk." Lisa sighed, "We're picking up Jack Harkness."

"You mean Captain Harkness?" Ianto stuttered as he sat up straighter to stare at Lisa.

"Cooling his heels in the Shining Cardiff jail. Deep solitary." Lisa grinned.

Ianto yawned and stretched as he asked "What's the charge this time?"

"Murder." Lisa scoffed.

"Man's been up on murder three times." Ianto laughed, "He gets off every time on self-defence."

"It's different this time. Sounds like he finally went psycho." Lisa looks down at the charge sheet and frowns, "multiple corpses, all mutilated. Harkness shows up at the Shining Cardiff Mine with some bizarre-ass story. Sends three officers to the medevac before they locked him down. You starting to  
see the picture?"

"All we got is you, me and this new guy John and a couple of rookies." Ianto gaped.

"What do you think of Sergeant Hart?" Lisa shuffled closer and laid a hand on Ianto's knee. "I mean, I was hoping we'd get a good, solid woman we could count on."

"I don't know." Ianto shrugged, "I guess we'll see."

"Well..." Lisa slid her hand up to his crotch and lightly brushed at his goods, "I need you tight, Ianto."

"Don't worry about that, commander." Ianto shifted in his seat to evade her fingertips, "I'm as tight as they come."

"Such a shame." Lisa smiled softly, accepting the rebuff, "Check on our transfer schedule."

"Shining Cardiff. SC, this is Trans Myfanwy 74 Yankee." The driver, Rhys Williams barked down the com link.

"They ready for us?" Ianto asked and Rhys turned to face him.

"This storm is really kicking up a mess." Rhys answered, "I can't get through to the tower."

"Here's your coffee," Gwen Cooper, Rhys' side-kick said as she entered the cockpit from the galley, "Here Pet. Three sugars and two whites, just the way you like it. You want some?"

"No, thanks." Ianto smiled as it became clear that these two were a couple, "How long?"

"About 40." Rhys snapped before going back to the coms, "Shining Cardiff? SC, this is  
Trans Myfanwy 74 Yankee..."

"ETA, 40 minutes." Ianto called as he walked back through the cabin, "Everybody, check your equipment.  
I don't want any surprises."

As Ianto went to walk past John, he reached out and snagged Ianto's hand. "Is everything all right, lieutenant?"

"I couldn't help but notice that charming little scene with the queen bee." He explained as Ianto stared at him.

"Yeah, well, you know how the service is, sergeant." Ianto shrugged, "She figures if I want to make  
captain, I'll have to pay the price. The thing is, I don't give a damn about wearing another bar."

"Yeah, it could be that." John leered looking Ianto up and down in an appraising manner, "Or she just has  
good taste in men."

"Sergeant, you are seriously out of line." Ianto snorted as he retrieved his hand.

"I'd hate to spoil my record." John snorted back.

"All right." Lisa spoke loudly to get everyone's attention, "I know you think you're some pretty tough hombres. You've had the best training, you have the best gear. You probably think this is a routine prisoner transfer. But that's what I want to bang into your heads. There's nothing routine about this prisoner. We are here to pick up Jack "Captain" Harkness. I want you all jack-ready, pardon the pun, and double-tough."

"Officers, you can disembark here." Rhys called out as he brought the skimmer in to land.

"What time is departure? We'll need at least a half an hour to secure our prisoner." Ianto asked as he passed Rhys on the way out the door.

"We got about a four-hour turnaround and we're due back at this spot at around 2200. You can report any time after that." Rhys said then turned to speak to Gwen, "See if you can raise the yard master, will you hon?"

"Ed? Ed, you out there?" Gwen tweaked the comms.

Only static answered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chap 2

"Rookies, use your breathers." Lisa commands as she walks away from the ship, her coat flaring out in the Mars wind, "We're not going to have air like Earth for 10 more years."

"Let's go." Ianto prompts the rookies to follow their leader.

"God, I hate this thing." Tosh sighs, grimacing as she takes a breath from the asthma inhaler style breather.

"You'll get used to it." Ianto assures her kindly, "Two years ago we were still wearing full-face breathers."

"Takes about a month to get over the headaches out here." John whines as he shakes his own. "Huh. So this is Shining Cardiff?"

"God, what a dump." Owen scoffs.

"First time in the boonies, eh, rookie?" Lisa laughs as she looks back over her shoulder to make sure they are following.

"Standard layout." John swaggers as only he can as he leers at Sato, "Just another shitty boomtown like all the others. Seen one, you can go home."

"You're always cold, you can't get a decent shower and they don't tell you a one-year contract here  
equals two years Earth time." Ianto says in warning and John laughs.

"Gotta read the fine print."

John frowned and looked at the red dust covered buildings that were, in fact old ships that had landed after their final flight, never to lift off again "Where is everybody?"

"Yeah. Friday night," Lisa said, slowing her walk as she scanned, "the place should be packed. I mean, a whole 12 hours before sunup and there's money to burn, whores to fuck and drugs to take. Instead we got a graveyard."

"Maybe they're all inside spending their money." Tosh suggests.

"Me, I'm gonna get us squared away at the RecFac." Lisa said, turning to walk backwards as she addresses Ianto, "You and Sergeant Hart check in at the jail."

"Save some hot water for me." Ianto calls as he watches them wander off.

"Where were you before Cardiff?" Ianto asks John as they walk together towards the holding house, "Utopia. It was the arse end of the universe. A penal camp full of work-amnesty cutthroats."

"Sounds nasty." Ianto screwed up his nose in a way John found quite endearing, "I heard they were turning into cannibals. But you seem to be holding together all right."

"What you see is nothing." John leers with a wink and Ianto snorts, "I have numerous hidden talents."

.

Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4

.

"Need some help with that?"

"You're persistent, aren't you?" Ianto huffed as he looked up at John from the security pad he was scrutinising.

"I've changed a few minds in my time. Not many of us breeders around. I'd hate to miss a chance to give it a go." John has noticed the way Ianto's trousers hug his butt and the tell-tale scent of a breeder in heat. "What do you say?"

.

.

Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4

/

/

Once the outer door was open, Ianto strode in with John following appreciatively after, still scenting the air like a fine perfume was wafting just for him.

"Hello." Ianto calls out with confusion at the front desk, the place seems abandoned, "Anybody here?"

"Officer to front desk. I repeat, officer to front desk" John drawls over the PA system.

"Well, hello, Mr. Harkness." Ianto smiles as the CCTV shows a handsome man sitting patiently in a cell.

"No one's seems to be about." John leans in to look at the screen and covertly sniff "What do you make of it?"

"I don't know." Ianto feels a finger of dread shimmying up his backbone and he frowns.

"You want me to pop the lock and oust the prisoners?"

"What do you mean, pop the lock"?" Ianto asks incredulously, "It's a level-eight security door."

"I got a mystical way with locks and mechanical objects." John boasts with a wink, "There isn't a machine on Mars that doesn't love me."

"How about we check with the commander first?" Ianto stalls, still feeling something … odd.

"So, what do you do for fun, then?" John asks as they wander back outside to wait for the others, "Are you a gambler?"

"No, I'm short-time, sergeant." Ianto turns to face him as the wind picks up, "I believe in  
saving my money. Wanna breed someday."

"Don't worry about that." John says condescendingly patting Ianto's butt, "I was gonna do it for free."

"Let me put it this way." Ianto says slowly as he steps away, "Maybe I'd sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth.

Ianto scans the vast nothingness then throw out, "But we're not on Earth."

"Oh, lover. Harsh" John chortles enjoying the banter. The lights flicker and Ianto turns to him showing uneasiness, "It's a voltage overload, most likely. You wanna check it out?"

"It's probably nothing. But, on second thought..." Ianto raises his weapon and steps out from the awning into the street, "Police officer. Anybody there?"

"This is not making me happy." John mutters as his lust is shunned, yet again.

"All right." Ianto slowly turns toward the location Lisa and the others had headed, "It's time to get backup."

"Jesus Christ. What are you doing?" John screams as a figure leaps from the side of the building and reveals itself to be Owen, "I almost killed you."

"What's going on?" Ianto demanded as he lowered his weapon.

"RecFac's a slaughterhouse."


	3. Chapter 3

Chap 3

 _"What? Slaughterhouse"?" the panellist asked as Ianto sat staid in the chair.  
_

" _That's the word Harper used." Ianto informed the panel as he tried to ignore the throbbing leg, "I didn't see it myself. According to what Commander Hallett told me right after we first arrived in Shining Cardiff, she and the two rookies headed towards the recreation facility."_

"Me, I'm gonna get us squared away at the RecFac." Lisa said, turning to walk backwards as she addresses Ianto, "You and Sergeant Hart check in at the jail." 

"Save some hot water for me." Ianto calls as they walk towards the Recreation Facility, where they are billeted. 

.

Entering the RecFac they are greeted with a slaughter house. Like something out of the classic Predator Movies, bodies are hung bleeding and some are skinned.

"Harper, sweep left. Sato, stick with me." Lisa pants as she sweeps the room. 

Tosh is shaking as Owen strides through the room with the commander, leaving the shell shocked girl glued to the doorway.

.

.

.

"Officer to Myfanwy, do you read?" Tosh frantically tries to reach their ride back at the jail where they have locked themselves in.

"The casino, the barracks, the dining hall, the rec centre. No one alive anywhere." Owen mutters as he checks the CCTV for the camp.

"Commander?" Tosh says timidly and Lisa turns.

"What?"

"I can't reach the train." Tosh knows her lip is wobbling and tries to be calm. 

"Well, keep trying." Lisa orders then turns to Ianto who is leaning against the wall. Walking over she places a hand on his arm and he looks at her.

"What do you think?" she says softly and he shakes his head.

"How we doing?" he asks John who is fiddling with the inner lock. 

"I don't know. This thing was built to stay locked." John grunts.

"And Harkness is still locked up?" Lisa demands.

"What do you mean?" Ianto swings back to frown at her as he realises she is hiding something.

With a sigh she gives it up, "Harkness was arrested on the suspicion of murdering six rail workers  
and a payroll courier up at Klick 305 Hub Station. The bodies were hung and decapitated, just like the bodies found in the RecFac."

"So how did they pin that on the Captain?" Ianto asks.

"He showed up here with the courier's payroll. The cashier realized it was a stolen scrip. They made the arrest." Lisa supplied and reaches for Ianto again.

Ianto steps away and stares at the desk, "There's gotta be a day log here somewhere."

Lisa frowns and then looks around the room as well, "Sergeant's desk."

They rummage amongst the files, bits of paper, books and coffee cups 

"Here." Ianto hold up a log book, "Last night the mine called in a work stoppage. Reported winds gusting up to 60 knots."

"Sixty?" Lisa raises her eyebrows.

"That's what it says."

"Anything else?" Lisa reads over Ianto's shoulder and tries to ignore the warm spicy smell. 

"Arrest for theft..." Ianto is oblivious to his attractiveness, "Then nothing." 

A metallic clunk warns everyone that John's administrations with the lock are working.

"Got it." John grins at Ianto. 

They walk through the inner doors and the prisoners look up with relief as they see them. "What's the hell going on around here?"

"We haven't had a meal or a piss break in six hours." Another growls. 

"Harper. Open the door." Lisa commands and she stands back with the log book, "All right, everybody. Answer "here" when I call your name. Akooshay." 

"What?" a man grunts. 

"Just answer "here."" Lisa rolls her eyes as Ianto steps closer to her. 

"Yeah." Akooshay shrugs.

"Zimmerman."

"I'm right in front of you." An old man snorted. 

Lisa frowns and loos at the book again, "Benchley." 

"Who's that?" John motions at a blonde woman curled up on a cot ignoring them. 

"She showed up last night." Akooshay tells them, "Checked herself in. insisted on being locked up here with us."

"Well, wake her up, sunshine." John leers as he swaggers into the cell, "Let's see what she has to say."

"Hey, hey. Somebody wants to talk to you." Akooshay shook her awake. 

"Who are you?" John taps her knee with his rifle.

She gasps, sitting up and rubbing her arms. "Yvonne Hartman" 

"What are you doing in the holding tank, Yvonne? John frowns and Lisa relaxes, letting him take the lead.

"It's the only safe place at the moment, okay?" Yvonne snaps. "Can I go back to sleep now?" 

"No, you can't. I need answers." Ianto spoke for the first time. "What's going on out there? What's your ID?"

"Director Yvonne Hartman. I'm the Spec Six Project Director for the mine at Doctor's Ridge." She explains, "I left Doctor's about a week ago by means of a weather balloon I'd modified. There was a disturbance in town.

Seemed prudent to get out. Yeah, they said there was some sort of a riot, and the place destroyed. Yeah, something like that. I was adrift for several days. Ran out of food. I followed the rail road tracks until I got here. Ah, shit! Then the storm forced me too low. I hit a windmill and crashed. They were kind enough  
to take me in here."

"Well, wasn't that nice of them?" John says sarcastically with a leer. 

"Yan, John, go check out Harkness." Lisa orders, "See if he knows anything about this."


	4. Chapter 4

Chap 4

"Harkness?" Ianto barks as he walks into the cellblock, "Do you know what's going on outside? 

"What's going on outside?" Jack asks lazily as he leans back and smiles, his eyes closed. 

"Let's go. This asshole doesn't know anything either." Ianto sneers as he turns to motion John out the door.

As they leave Jack opens his eyes with surprise and sees Ianto for the first time. He leaps to his feet with his mouth gaping open.

"You got some balls calling him an asshole to his face." John hoots outside the door, "That's Captain Harkness. I heard he took out at least six when they cornered him at Demos Station." 

"Yeah, and this is eight inches." Ianto holds his fingers apart a few inches and rolls his eyes, "You career men love to exaggerate, Hart." 

"Just goes with the territory." John bristles, still wanting a taste of this exotic man. "Yeah, well, in my case, it's a bit different. Perhaps a connoisseur like yourself would appreciate what I have to offer."

Ianto laughs softly as John refuses to give up, then they hear banging from one of the doors they had locked. They run for the guns and strike a pose. 

"Go get the commander." Ianto barks to John as he tightens his grip on his revolver. 

They open the door and a woman come screaming through the door, her face is bleeding and she is tearing at her hair and face as she screeches. She has a mean looking knife that she swings at Ianto who jumps away.

"Disarm her." Lisa screams as she watches Ianto in Danger.

.

.

.

 _Ianto has lost his train of thought and as the tread of the story fades, so does his voice._

 _Many of the panel shift in their seats and an elderly man leans over the desk to look at him more closely, "Officer?"_

 _"It was almost like she was..." Ianto struggles to find the word, "possessed."_

 _"Like a force was inside her." He frowns and looks up at the pale faces regarding him.  
_

" _Who was she?" a purple Zelachian asks and Ianto turns politely to address the question._

 _"She was a dispatch officer. We tried to make her comfortable. The rookies took her to a storage room in the back of the jail. Then the commander and I went back outside to look around town."_

 _._

.

.

.

.  
"What do you think?" Lisa asks as she and Ianto do a perimeter sweep. It is getting dark and the place is even creepier as the shadows lengthen, like oil slicks. 

"That the Science Officer's lying." Ianto answers crisply.

"Tell me again about Harkness." Lisa prompts as she scouts a shadowy corner then relaxes as it is empty. 

"I didn't read the full file." Ianto struggles to recall the file he flicked through knowing his eidetic memory will find the relevant information, "Caught him with the money but he said he didn't kill anybody."

"Huh, of course. They all just died of fright." Lisa scoffs with a grin, "And then cut their own heads off?" 

As they walk they turn a corner and come across a land crawler. These large vehicles resemble a cross between a tank and a kombi van. Inside a man is raging, he screams and thrashes against the large glass frontage, spittle and blood flecking the glass.

"Put down your weapon!" Ianto reacts first, raising the pulse rifle and stepping in front of Lisa. _Protect your Commander._

"Put it down!" Lisa raises her own rifle and squares her shoulders as he steps to one side, behind yet clearly visible to Ianto to show she is OK.

They can't hear what the man is ranting as he screams and gestures but is seems he is telling them to go away.

"Call Hart." Lisa demands as she moves to the back of the transport and tries the locked door.

"Sergeant Hart," Ianto yells down the comms as the man continues to bang against the glass at him. "We need backup. We're 20 southwest of the RecFac."

"Don't open the door!" the man is screaming, "Don't let it out!"

Lisa notices movement in the enveloping darkness and places her back to the vehicle as she scans with her rifle, "Who goes there?"

"Can't fight it! It's in me!" the man shrieks as he tears at his face, his fingernails leaving deep bloody gouges in the skin. He raises the knife and slices his own throat while Ianto watches with horror.

"Commander Hallett!" John barks, gaining Ianto's attention as he walks slowly around the vehicle with open confusion on his face. 

"There's a man in there. Open it." Ianto finally commands as he turns and looks into the dark.

"The lock is destroyed. We're gonna need a cutting torch." John mutters as he examines the lock. 

"How long?" Ianto demands, turning to look at John, taking a moment from his night scanning.

"At least half an hour, maybe more." John shrugs then he turns to look at Ianto and sees the fear, "What the fuck is going on here, lieutenant?"

"He committed suicide. But before he slit his throat, he yelled something, something like: Stay away!" "Don't open the door." "Stay away." And now the commander's gone." Ianto explains and John rears back with surprise.

Ianto walks a few feet from the vehicle and shouts out into the dark "Lisa!"

"Maybe he was contagious. Or crazy, I don't know." John reasons as he scans nervously, "I say we take him at his word and leave him locked in."

Ianto swings to glare at him and he raises a hand to stop the reprimand coming. "Look, one of us has to  
stay with the rookies. Why don't you go back to the jail? I'll find the commander." 

"Let's get the hell out of this place." Ianto finally agrees, "There's nothing we can do for this guy. You're right. Okay, let's go."

Ianto heads back towards the Jail house as John nervously tries to find Lisa's trail.

Ianto enters the jail only to find an escaped prisoner holding a knife to Tosh's throat and everyone yells for or against the threat of violence.

"Drop your weapon, or I'll cut this dyke-bitch's head off!" Jack snarls as Ianto raises his weapon.

"What the fuck happened?" Ianto roars at Owen who was cowering behind a desk.

"Tosh let him out for some food."

"Let me guess." Ianto rolls his eyes, "You unshackled him. What do you want, Hartness?" 

"I want to get the fuck out of here." He snarls as he tightens his grip on Tosh's throat. 

"Okay. We'll let you walk, just let the girl go." Ianto reasons. 

"Think I'm falling for that shit?" Jack laughs and Ianto shrugs.

"I can't let you take the rookie." Ianto explains and takes a step forward, "Take me. Okay?"

"Put the gun down." John enters behind Ianto and freaks the fuck out.

Jack commands again, this time looking more closely at Ianto, "Put them down!"

"Drop your gun, Hart." Ianto orders.

"Yeah, drop the gun, Hart." Jack parrots with a leer.

"Okay." Ianto places his gun on the ground with his other hand held out palm up, "Relax! Take it easy. Relax! Relax. You're gonna get what you want."

"I know I'm gonna get everything I want. Now let's go." Jack spins Tosh away as he reaches out and grabs Ianto by the outstretched hand, pulling him into his arms. Ianto rears back and decks Jack on the jaw and Jack yelps with pain. He slams the handle of the knife down on Ianto's head and he folds gracefully to the ground stunned.

"Damn, boy." Jack laughs, "I like you already."


	5. Chapter 5

Chap 5

"Shit." Ianto moans as he regains consciousness on a cell cot.

"You okay?" John asks softly as he looks down at him from the bars.

"Just swell." Ianto rubs his sore head and looks up blearily. He blinks and notices they are on the wrong side of those bars, "Where's Harkness?"

"He took off out the airlock." John growled angrily, showing his own pain. He fought to protect Ianto's prone form, hand to hand with Harkness who had eventually pushed him back with a bark of humour. John had leered back showing his teeth like a predator recognising another and had insisted on carrying him to the cell as he snarled openly at Harkness. The open display of hostilities between the two men had been so raw Owen had caustically commented that they should both just piss on Ianto and see who stinks prettier for him.

John shrugs and winces "He ran into the clinic. Saw him go in not even two minutes ago."

"Let me guess, he's got your shotgun, right?" Ianto groans as he flops back into the cot.

"Couldn't help it." John smiles, reaching out a hand to help Ianto up, "He was too fast. He's still in there, though. I can see the back door from here."

Ianto sees now that the door is open to the cell and he tries to shake off his lethargy as he is now on command, "All right. You two take the back door. I'm gonna go in the front and flush him out. If he comes at you, shoot to kill."

Ianto nervously stalks through the doors and comes to an examination room. Inside the room a woman sits with a vacant expression on her face as she examines her own fingers like she had never seen them before.

"Hey." Ianto says softly and she looks up as him, then hisses like a cat.

Ianto slowly backs out of the room and walks further down the corridor.

Another hiss is heard and Ianto moves slowly towards it, "Now what?"

A body explodes from the side room and Ianto is slammed into the wall. He pushes his rifle between him and his attacker as teeth gnash near his face. Then the attacker is gone.

Ianto falls to his knees as he shakes and gasps for air. Looking up, he sees Jack wrestling with the large man who has redecorated his face with scratches and sliced skin similar to the woman.

Ianto steps behind the attacker and slams it into the wall, scooping up the rifle Jack had dropped and slamming the butt of it into the mad man's skull with a snarl of his own.

"How the hell did that happen?" Jack laughs as he recognises his gun pointed at him.

"Let's go." Ianto snarls angrily and Jack is the one to place his hands out.

"Wait a minute." He pants.

"Looks like you're coming with me now." Ianto says cockily and Jack looks up sharply at the handsome soldier.

"You see what's going on out there." Jack points behind Ianto at the front doors, "You know I didn't kill nobody."

Jack sees an opportunity and grabs the gun, pulling Ianto against him. For a brief moment their bodies are flush against each other, as Jack pushes him against the wall a heady smell assaults Jack's senses. _Gods, he's in season. Oh, wow. A breeder. In service? Wow, Gods he smells like heaven._

Unable to resist a taste, Jack leans on and their lips meet. The moan between them is heady and lustful and they both hear it with shock as they realise they both moaned in unison.

Emboldened, Jack slides a leg between Ianto's and kisses him deeper, sliding a hand between them to cup Ianto's growing crotch. Jack pulls back with surprise at the handful he encounters and Ianto whimpers as the suction is lost.

With a growl, Jack reattached their lips and lets his tongue explore the tasty morsel. They grind against each other as they pant and moan, Jack is lost in sensation as Ianto bites his neck with a snarl.

Too soon, he is over the cliff and falling into the abys as he jizzes his pants.

Jack slowly comes back to himself to find the gun nozzle once more in his face and Ianto standing as unruffled as ever, "I said move it."

"I ain't going nowhere." Jack snorts, "I just saved your life. You should let me go."

"And I saved yours." Ianto scoffs back, "Looks like we're even. Now move it!"

"Let me ask you something, Jack." Ianto talks as they walk back across the short distance to the Jail house, "You're so innocent, how come we found all that stolen flash on you?"

"I didn't say I was innocent." Jack laughs. "I said I didn't kill nobody."

"Let's say I believe you." Ianto stops walking and they stand in no-man's land between the doors, "What exactly happened at K-305?"

"I don't know. I was just changing trains from Camp Sinai." Jack stands with his usual hands on hips as he talks and Ianto wonders if he even knows how fucking sexy he is, "Had a little time to get me something to eat. So I went into the station."

Jack tells Ianto how he wandered in and found the bodies hung, drained and skinned. Their heads missing. Ianto thinks if the RecFac as told by John and finds similarities. "It was just lying there, so you took it."

"You would have done the same thing." Jack shrugs.

"See, that's where you're wrong." Ianto frowns back as he adjusts the grip on the rifle, "I'm a cop, not a crook."

"It's a thin line between a cop and a crook these days." Jack laughs, leaning back. _Cocky bastard_ , Ianto thinks as Jack continues, "You think it's a big difference between you and me?"

"You just got the Man behind your bullshit." Jack's smile fades as he becomes serious, "Look at you. You look high right now. You know I saved your life out there. So why don't you save mine, and let me out of here?"

"Look," Ianto sighs with an eye roll that boils Jack's blood with its sexiness, "my job is to bring you back to Base to stand trial. I don't think you did it. But that's not my call. So let's not make this any more complicated than it has to be."

"It's gonna be real complicated." Jack sighs as he face palms, "Believe that shit. I ain't going back."

.

.

.

.

" _So you secured your prisoner. Where was your commanding officer during this time?" the panel ask.  
_

" _I can only report what Sergeant Hart told me later." Ianto answers, he looks tired now but struggles to maintain a calm façade. "After the man in the rover committed suicide, John went looking for the commander."_

.

.

.

.

"Let's get the hell out of this place." Ianto finally agrees, "There's nothing we can do for this guy. You're right. Okay, let's go."

Ianto heads back towards the Jail house as John nervously tries to find Lisa's trail.

"Commander Hallett!" John yells as he stalks through the swirling dust, straining to see anything in the black.

John sees a woman running, she is carrying something that swings from a fist as it bangs against her hip. John chases her at a distance and she runs up an embankment.

Crawling to the top, John sees several things.

One – The thing that was being carried had been stuck on a pike with others placed around it.

Two – ewwww, they are heads.

Three – there is a party going on in the pit below.

John crawls to the edge and watches as they gyrate to strange music they create by banging weapons together as they chant in a strange language he's not heard before. There are hundreds of the weird fuckers. All self-mutilated and ugly as all fuck!

John slides back down the grade and looks closer at the pike tops. Fuck!

Pride of place is Lisa's decapitated head. Her eyes are rolled back and a grimace shows she didn't die well.

"Lieutenant." John barks in his comms, "We got a situation here."

"Sergeant, you're breaking up." Ianto faintly answers, "I can hardly hear you."

"The commander's dead." John reports and Ianto rears back from the comms, looking around with confusion.

"Everybody in the mine's gone insane." John reports then static overrides his talking.

"John, can you read?

"Hart!"

Ianto looks at Owen and Tosh as they all listen to … nothing. The radio had died.


	6. Chapter 6

Chap 6

"Hey, hey, come on, let us out of here." Yvonne yells as she watches the exchange.

"Start at the beginning!" Ianto asks, opening the cell door but keeping his handgun cocked.

"Oh. Ha, ha, ha." Yvonne bounces out of the cell, "I told you I got here last night."

"Don't bullshit me!" Ianto snarls, all pretence gone as he raises his gun.

"Lieutenant." She raises her hands in surrender, "Okay."

"What the hell is going on out there?" Ianto flicks his head at the doors.

"What?" She tries for ignorance but Ianto does not blink. Finally she shrugs. _Busted._

"In semi-arid regions on Earth, there are certain organisms that live in small pools that are formed by the annual rains." She chooses a seat and reaches for a drink, "When the pools dry up, those organisms can't live but they don't die either. They go dormant. Below the surface, away from the hot sun until the next rain cycle begins. Then they re-emerge. I think something like that's happening here. I don't understand. Well, whatever used to live here, we woke it up."

Blank stares all around and she sighs. "It takes us, okay? I'm talking about a kind of possession."

"Lieutenant," Owen interrupts, "Sgt. Hart's on the radio. He said he found three people out there. They're on the way in. They got an ETA of 5 minutes. You should get on the radio and talk to him."

"The hell do you mean he's found three people?" Ianto huffs and Owen shrugs.

"That's what he said." Owen jumps as he hears banging from a cell.

Looking at Tosh for backup he nods for Ianto to open the door.

A woman comes flying out of the room, gnashing her teeth and snarling as she makes a b-line for the hapless Owen who can only yodel as she struggles with him.

Ianto calmly watches the display and then raises his weapon, firing from the hip. The body flies back against the wall and slides down, leaving a slimy red trail as it folds ungainly onto the ground.

"You Okay?" he asks Owen who is sitting on the ground in Tosh's lap.

"No" Owen pouts as Tosh rubs an elbow.

"Is something broken?" Ianto crouches down with a cocked head.

"No, I'm all right." Owen finally admits as he clambers to his feet.

"But it's out of the body now." Yvonne wails, looking around the room.

"Yeah, it's loose in here." Ianto frowns as he watches the body for any signs of life.

"Lieutenant," Tosh calls out from the radio she had just returned to, "sergeant's on the radio."

"Lieutenant," Hart's voice was gravelly, showing that he was moving with some speed, "we're coming in. Can you read me?"

"Sergeant, where are you?" Ianto asks with growing concern.

"We're right down the street." Comes the reply and Ianto tilts his head.

"We?" Ianto asks Tosh who is watching the exchange, "Who's "we"?"

"I found three people alive out here." John replies and Ianto realises the radio was still on, "Come and open the door for us."

"I tried to reach you on the radio." John pants as he tries to catch his breath, the three men who had stumbled in with him collapse against the wall as they openly shake with fear.

"Just you make sure that door is locked." He asks Ianto who nods to Tosh to deploy the double locks, "There must be 200 of them fucking freaks, and any minute now they're going to be coming down the street looking to kick our ass."

"Okay. Relax." Ianto places a hand on John's arm and he looks up with pleased surprise at the contact, "Who are these guys?"

"I found them hiding up in the mine shed."

.

.

Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4

.

.

"Lieutenant." John barks in his comms, "We got a situation here."

"Sergeant, you're breaking up." Ianto faintly answers, "I can hardly hear you."

"The commander's dead." John reports and waits for an answer, when none comes he says, "Everybody in the mine's gone insane."

John waits for Ianto to speak but the coms are silent, probably the storm interrupting them. The door he is leaning against opens and hands grab for his jacket, pulling him into the tool shed he was leaning against.

"Check the window!" a man demands and John counts three frightened men staring at him.

"They didn't see."

"Who are you?" John asks with confusion.

"Who are we?" The man scoffs who had made the demand, "Who are you?"

"The man asked you a question." Another sneers and John leans back against the closed door to stare at them.

"My name's Hart." He finally offers with a leer.

"At least he's not one of them." The smaller one mutters, John notes the other large ones nod their agreement. So he's in charge?

"What's happening out there?" he asks the men, "Who the fuck are those clowns? What are they all sparked up about?"

"Used to be miners. Then everybody in this place lost their mind running around, chopping people's heads off." The leader said with growing excitement.

"Ease up, man." John soothes then nods for him to continue.

"We were up on the rim when they called the work stoppage.

We were watching from the top of a pit, they all seemed to be knocking off early for the night. We were gonna sneak into our shift change because we were late but didn't know what to do if they locked up early for the night" the leader who John had come to think of as Uno.

"Then we heard all this bloody screaming and chanting, like" a large one speaks. Dos. "Then this red mist came rolling on from the south."

"We hid until the storm was over." Uno continues the story with a slap to the large one's chest, "Later, I went out to take a look around. Thought they were all dead. Then some of them started to come to. They walked around like they were confused or lost. A few of them seemed okay. They was trying to help the others. Then they started changing."

"Changing?" John frowns as the leader pauses, "What do you mean?"

"They act different, stand different. Start cutting themselves for decoration. Filing their teeth. Making weapons. Killing the ones who hadn't changed." Uno shudders at the memory, "Cutting people's faces off and wearing them for masks."

"You boys got any weapons?" John is afraid now, no longer slumping, he stands tall as he adjusts his rifle.

Dos raises a knife and grins. John snorts and looks to Uno, "I mean real weapons."

"Only cops can have guns." Uno snorts and the third one speaks.

"Some detonators in them cases over there." Comes a rumbling lisp from the third one who John is stumped by, then he comes up with a name he thinks is fitting. Spare.

"Do you know how these things work?" John looks at the cases of potential weapons with admiration.

"I know you need dynamite to use them." Uno shrugs.

..

.

Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4 Sol4

.

.

"Okay then." Ianto contemplates their next move with John, "We take our prisoner and we all get on the train."

"What prisoner would that be?" Uno asks and Ianto raises an eyebrow at the interruption.

"That's doesn't concern you." John snarls, seeing Ianto's annoyance and feeling an overwhelming desire to defend his new leader.

John steps between Ianto and the men as he strokes his rifle, realising he is the only one with a weapon drawn as Owen's sits by Tosh's on a nearby table and Ianto has his leaning behind him against the wall.

"If it's Captain Harkness, it concerns me very much." Uno laughs as the three men drop their long coats to reveal weapons, pointed at all three soldiers. Now drop your weapon. All of you!"

"Weapons on the floor." Dos snarls as Tosh squeaks, removing her sidearm along with Owen and they drop them to the floor.

"So only cops have guns, eh?" John sighs as Ianto nods for John to back down as he drops his own sidearm with a quiet groan.

John realises that he brought this threat home. He has put Ianto in danger, _great move soldier_.

"You fucking pricks."


	7. Chapter 7

Chap 7

"We lied." Uno stage whispers with wide eyes, then shifts his stance and snarls "Now go get Jack." 

"I don't think so." Ianto says slowly as he raises the rifle he had quietly backed up to.

"What was that?" Uno asks with anger, then he sees Ianto's determined stare. 

"Fucking kill me." Ianto taunts with a grin.

"No problem." Uno barks back. 

"Look." John sighs as he addresses them both, their guns aimed at each other like gun slingers in the Wild West, "Will you two stop fucking about?" 

"Lieutenant," John says softly, "let Harkness out." 

"Give me one good reason." Ianto asks, finally taking his eyes off Uno and John is struck by their stormy glare. _God he's gorgeous, talk about come to bed eyes with those lashes_.

"I just gave you about a thousand!" John snorts trying to maintain a professional air, "They're probably outside right now. Doesn't matter that Harkness is wanted for murder, and it doesn't matter that this lot are scumbags. What matters right now is that we stick together to get out of here."

Ianto has lowered his weapon and is appraising John who swallows down the urge to preen like a bloody peacock for his potential mate, "All of us, including Harkness, including them."

"Who are you calling scumbag, motherfucker?" Uno demands as John grins at Ianto, "Now quit with all your fucking stalling and take us to Harkness!" 

Ianto leads the way to the cell and with a nod from him, John unlocks the door as Jack leaps to his feet, "I'll be goddamned."

"Whoo!" Uno exhales with relief as he rushes into the cell and hugs Harkness, Finally."

"Man, this town done went crazy." Dos says and Uno nods his head. 

"We had to improvise." Uno says excitedly, "You like it?"

"I love it." Jack grins back, and Uno looks down at Jack's wrist that is shackled t a bar in the cell.

"I want you to let him out." Uno barks with rage and the other two men rush in to see the problem. 

"What's up, Boe?" Dos asks and Jack raises his wrist. 

"I'm still shackled." He speaks slowly, obviously knowing this man is a bit simple.

"What, are you pigs on a fucking break? Free him up." Uno snarls and John slips into the cell, unlocking the shackle and then sliding back out to stand by Tosh and Owen who are behind a glowering Ianto.

"I knew you'd let me go." Jack winks at Ianto who raises one eyebrow, causing a leer in return.

"It's been a long time." Jack turns to Uno and hugs him again. "I didn't think you all could do it." 

"Piece of cake." Uno laughs as he waves his arms around the cell, "It was my plan, Jack.

Ianto steps forward quietly and touches a button on the wall, causing the door to swing shut with a loud clang.

"Fuck!" the men shout as they realise their weapons were still outside except for Uno's and Ianto gives a polite flip of his middle finger.

"I thought you were watching the door?" Uno shouts at Dos as he slaps him on the arm.

"I was!" Dos whines with a wobbling lip.

"Bitch, you better open this door." Uno lunges through the bars and gets nothing but air as Ianto watches impassively.

"I don't think so." Ianto says with a shrug.

"You don't open that door, I'm gonna blow your head off." Uno screams as everyone looks at him mirth mirth, even Jack.

"Then your asses will never get out." Ianto sniffs with a disinterested shrug, "Someone will find  
you guys sometime, probably tied upside down in here with your heads cut off."

Ianto then fixes his gaze on Jack who was hanging on his every word already, "Tell your dogs to quit barking so we can talk."

"Put them down." Jack huffs. 

Uno didn't lower his and Jack repeats, "Put it down." 

"Listen to me, Jack." Ianto says softly as Jack shivers at the use of his name with those lovely lips, "We don't have a lot of time. You need us and we need you. We've all seen what's going on out there and none of us is gonna survive if we don't stick together. I need you to give me your word that if I open this door you and your boys will stand by my command at all times."

"I never give my word." Jack leers as he caught Ianto's scent.

"It's okay. I never make deals with criminals either." Ianto deadpans back and Jack's grin gets wider.

"You got it." Jack finally says and Uno goes nuts.

"What? Oh, no. You're making deals with cops?"

"And you are too." Jack snarls, turning to him with all smiles gone, a snarl in its place, "Give him your weapon. Everybody, give it up."

"Well, introduce us to your friends." Ianto asks and Jack preens as he swaggers from the now opened cell.

"These are my comrades. Uno, Dos …"

"Uno must be the nice one." John snarks and Uno chuckles at him. 

"You got that right, butch." Uno winks at John, "I'm not as nice as the Captain, and I'll cut your fucking balls off…"

Ianto had watched the exchange as Uno stalked towards a startled John and with a snarl, he flicks his wrist, unsheathing his blade and deftly hooks it into Uno's nostril, "Who's in charge here?" 

"You better let go of my nose." Uno whines, looking hopefully at Jack who just shrugs.

"Who is in charge here?" Ianto repeats, raising both the blade and as a consequence, Uno's head.

"You! You!" Uno shrieks, "Je- You, you, you. Shit!"

Ianto tilts his head as he ponders something, then with a wink at Jack he lowers the blade.

"You just gonna stand there and watch him break my shit?" Uno rages at Jack who folds his arms and looks quite entertained by it all.

"Yeah, and now that you're done mopping the floor," Jack drawls, "Why don't you get me a beer, killer?"

"All right, what's next?" John turns to Ianto as he dismisses the theatrics.

"We get more deputies." Ianto declares as he wanders to the other cell with Yvonne and the rest of them still sitting inside.

"You're deputized. Consider this a martial law situation." Ianto barks as he hands weapons to the surprised people, "Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

Chap 8

"When did this start?" Ianto asks looking into the cell containing a man who seems to be trying to peel his own fingernails off.

"It started a few minutes ago." Owen mutters with a frown.

"What should we do with him?" Tosh asks quietly and Ianto shrugs.

"We can't take him with us." Ianto sighs and Jack peers past him into the cell.

"Then here he stays." He says with a final nod as he swings the door shut.

They walk back into the main room where a table is set up with equipment as they fiddle with the bits of tat.

"Guys, what is that?" Ianto asks pointing at a small inhaler that one of the men is playing with.

"It's a Laffer, a black-market breather." John says absently.

"It gets you high?" Ianto peers at it nervously.

"Turns your brain into Swiss cheese." John leers.

"One gross of detonators." Jack mutters as he looks into the case he just opened.

"What are those good for?" Ianto accepts one offered and their fingers brush, just for a second and both men shiver from the charge.

"It would help if we had some dynamite, but they make a pretty good bang." Jack hefts one to test its weight, "We could put them into food cans or something, and make some hand grenades."

"All right," Ianto smiles down at him, "you got 10 minutes."

"Hey." Dos giggles as he watches Tosh struggling with a tin, "Easy. Here, let me do it."

He snatches up the tin and slams the blade down, cutting off the top of the can as well as his thumb.

He holds up his blood spurting hand with surprise and showed it to his mates as they laugh. 

"That's beautiful!" someone huffs. 

"That's what you get, dumb-ass." Uno laughs and looks over at Jack.

"You gonna be okay to do this?" Jack asks the team who all grin, including Dos (now renamed thumbless) with wonder. 

"All right," Ianto addresses them as Jack leans against the table in a way that is so distracting, "it's almost 2200 hours. Here's the plan, short and simple. Owen and John take the lead, everybody else follows. It's about 50 meters from here to the landing pad. Tosh and I are in the rear. Any questions?"

Thumbless hesitantly raises his bandaged hand and everyone looks.

"Hey." Jack barks, "Put your hand down."

Jack shakes his head at the idiot then turns to smile at Ianto, "All clear."

"Let's do it!" John snarls and they make a run for the pad.

"Hey, bro, I don't see no motherfucking transporter." Uno shouts to Jack.

"Hey, cupcake" Thumbless yells as he struggles with a lunatic … whatever these are, "we don't see no transporter."

"It'll be here." Ianto says with as much confidence as he can muster.

"All right," Jack shouts as he decides to head back in the direction they came, "come on, lets go!"

"Oi! That's the mine office!" Owen barks as they see a building blow sky high.

"What the hell are they doing?" Yvonne cries as they race after Jack, guns blazing.

"It's like they're tearing the whole town apart, building by building" John says with shock as he moves to flank Ianto.

"Come on, pick it up!" Ianto yells as they retreat, crazies beginning to surround them.

"Lieutenant!" John growls, aiming for the nearest crazy.

"Hold your fire." Ianto orders, "Just keep on moving."

"Go!" Ianto shouts as they near the buildings.

"Where's the transporter?" Jack yells over his shoulder at Ianto.

"I don't know." Ianto admits as he nervously looks at the crazies.

"You don't know? What the fuck is that supposed mean?" Uno roars as he looks over at Jack.

"Lieutenant Jones, to the transporter. Come in." Ianto yells into his comms, tripping and Jack catches him as they keep moving.

"Plan A is fucked up." Jack hisses into Ianto's ear, "You got a plan B?"

"Yeah, it's the same as plan A." Ianto snaps, "You got any fresh ideas?"

"Yeah, what we should have done in the first place." Jack yells as he opens fire.

"Shit!" John curses as he joins in.

"Come on, you mindless motherfuckers!" Owen shrieks as he shoots aimlessly into the crazies.

Ianto looks back to check on Tosh and feels something grab at his arm, he pivots and uses his body strength to pull them both to the ground. He uses his rifle as a barrier as he struggles on the ground with the crazy thing.

Jack is suddenly there, pulling it off him and breaking its neck with a snarl.

"Second time I've saved your life." Jack pants as he takes a quick sniff of Ianto's hair and moans softly.

"Yeah, run a tab." Ianto barks, pushing away from him to shoot a crazy almost to them.

"Johnny, grenade!" Uno yells and John lobs him a tin that he throws into the crowd of crazies.

Everyone is thrown backwards from the blast and Ianto finds himself on top of a grinning Captain. With a grunt, Ianto rolls them both sideways as a crazy slams into the ground and Jack is now staring up at a gorgeous creature that is wantonly rubbing their crotches together with a blissed out grin on his face.

Jack takes a chance and reached up, kissing him and revelling in his heady taste. Then, all of a sudden Ianto is gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Chap 9

 **WARNING - SMUTT CHAPTER**

"Come on, man, on your feet." John was yelling as Ianto became aware of his surroundings again. _What the fuck had just happened?_

"Let's move!" Owen barks and they're running again.

"Shit." John curses as they are overrun and several people fall.

The leader of the crazies is yelling in a strange alien language and as the crazies pause to listen, those not badly injured get to their feet and run like hell for the door lock.

"Hey." Ianto screams at John, "Open that door."

They fall through the doors and struggle to slam the doors shut.

Ianto is still confused and Jack takes a moment to check him for injuries, he cups his face in his hand and talks softly asks if he is alright. Ianto blinks and slowly leans forward, openly smelling him. Jack grins as Ianto's eye dilate in response to his hormones. _They're a match_.

"We sealed the airlock doors," Tosh strides into the room looking confident with a rifle on her hip, "and Sergeant Hart dismantled the lock. They couldn't open the door from the outside, so we were safe..."

"For a while." Owen mutters with a frown.

"Get on the radio." Ianto demands as he shakes his head to clear it, "Try to reach the transporter."

"Where's your brother?" Thumbless demands of Jack who grimaces and looks away.

"He didn't make it." Jack finally admits.

"Oh, God." Ianto looks at the man crouched at his feet, a hand resting lightly in Ianto's lap, "Uno was your brother?"

"Yeah." Jack says softly, "His name was Grey."

"Look at him." Owen states as he looks into the cell of the man they left behind. Ianto shakily gets to his feel and Jack flanks him protectively.

"Whatever's inside of him has waited a long time to get out. I didn't understand their design, how they move." Yvonne tells them as she looks at the man, "It's got to be the wind. Yeah. Yeah, the wind takes them. And then once their host dies, they just drift along the rail road tracks from town to town, human to human. What a perfect creation. Vengeance on anything or anyone that tries to lay claim to their planet."

"What did you see at Doctor's Ridge?" Ianto asks and she frowns. Jack moves away as everyone focuses on her.

"I was at the mine when they called a work stoppage. There was a section 740, a scientifically significant find. A 740 applies to any number of things found on Mars: A biological organism, indication of water, things like that. After we dynamited the mountain we discovered an entrance. It was a tunnel carved into the rock. It had been hidden underneath the outer walls for centuries and someone other than man had carved it."

"Jesus!" John moans.

A howl can be heard above the din outside and Owen starts, "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know." She whispers, her eyes wide with fear. 

"Get the hell out of here!" someone shouts and Ianto turns then hesitates, as she seizes his arm in a talon like grip.

"It was me." She whispers, tears starting to stream down her face, "I opened Pandora's box. I let them out. I did my duty for Queen and country"

Ianto shakes her off with disgust and stalks out of the room, heading for the control room where Tosh is excitedly waving at him.

"I made contact with the transporter.' She enthuses and Ianto's face lights up, "They're about three klicks north of town on a landing pad. They said the way is blocked by the storms. Not safe to fly yet."

"Can they get through?"

"Yeah, they're working on it." She nods and Ianto gives her a quick hug.

There is commotion from the direction of the earlier scream and they both start. Ianto calms her with a soft pat on the back and goes to seek the cause.

He checks the inner doors and they fly open as Jack races in and slams them behind him, panting heavily.

"You okay?" Ianto asks as he checks the door, brushing past Jack.

"Yes." He gulps and straightens up, eyeing Ianto's rear, "Barricaded the rear door."

"Good." Ianto swings around and Jack quickly averts his eyes.

"There's a maintenance courtyard out the back enclosed by a 5-meter wall." Jack explains what he saw as Ianto stands close enough to breathe, "There's even a rover parked out there. Maybe we can make a run for it."

"No, we wait." Ianto shakes his head and Jack takes a step, closing the distance between them as Ianto speaks, "Tosh got in touch with the transporter. They're coming back for us."

"Well, if a transporter's coming, they better hurry up." Jack now had Ianto plastered against the door and is slowly nuzzling his hair.

"What's the matter with you?" Ianto whispers then gasps as he feels Jack's hand on his crotch.

Before Ianto has time to fully register what is happening, he find his face against the door his back was against moments ago and there is a wonderful feeling as warmth as Jack platers himself against him while still cupping his crotch.

"Gotta have you" Jack snarls in his ear, pulling at his uniform.

Ianto tries to form an answer but his eyes roll back in his head as cool air licks at his balls. His pants are gone and he lets his head lolls back onto Jack's shoulder as Jack bites down on his neck.

Jack now how has Ianto's erect dick in his hand and Ianto pants as Jack roughly prepares him, motions full of anger and violence. Ianto cries out as he is breached by two fingers, then his knees go weak as the heady smell of Jack's hormones bombard his senses.

He feels drunk, confused and incredibly horny as he pushes back against his intended mate and whimpers.

That sound is Jack's signal that he would be accepted and he hastily removes his fingers and fumbles one-handed with the tube of lube, then pushes roughly as he seeks a full breach.

Ianto's cry this time is of pain as Jack fills him, claims him and Jack snarls as he feels the tight, restrictive space.

"Fuck, you're a virgin" Jack cries, grabbing at Ianto and pulling out long enough to turn him.

Now facing each other Jack lifts him and slides in again, this time adding a bruising kiss to the coupling. Knowing that he is the first to claim him, knowing this beautiful creature was not only waiting for a mate to breed with, but to share his essence with drives Jack insane.

As the crazies howl and rage outside, Jack makes similar noises in the small room as he pounds into Ianto again and again and Ianto's eyes roll back with pleasure/pain.

Jack changes his angle, trying for beeper penetration and he feels Ianto starting to go limp with overload so he bites down savagely on his shoulder.

Ianto's cry is deep and throaty as he throws his head back, cum filling Jack's hand and adding extra lubrication as he roughly tugs him to completion.

The smell of his sunk is the final key and Jack is undone. He snaps his hips, driving Ianto's body up the wall several inches and whines as he tries to force his whole body inside him.

They cling to each other and pant through their respective orgasms then Jack pounds a couple more times and they slowly slide to the floor.

Jack languidly licks and kisses Ianto's face and neck as he claims and soothes him.

Their mating bond is complete.


	10. Chapter 10

Chap 10

"You did good out there." Jack soothes as they lay boneless on the floor.

"Yeah, right." Ianto snorts as he nuzzles in for a few more moments of pleasure. 

"It's a fucked-up situation" Jack hastens to reassure him, "I never put too much faith in cops, but you did all right."

"You trust me?" Ianto snorts.

"Hell, no." Jack laughs as he kisses Ianto gently.

"You know, I really don't understand you at all, Captain." Ianto pulls away confused.

"The only one looking out for me is me." Jack sighs as he watches Ianto escaping his grip.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Ianto asks as he retrieves his uniform.

"Nothing bothers me." Jack grins as he accepts his trousers from Ianto's outstretched hand, "I stopped worrying a long time ago."

"Don't you believe in anything?" Ianto asks, trying to hide his hope for a positive answer.

"I believe in staying alive." Jack answers and Ianto's shoulders slump.

"Yeah, but for what?" Ianto tries one more time for the answer he seeks. _Me?_

"Stick around, I might let you know one day." Jack is looking down as he fastens his trousers and misses the pain the flitters across Ianto's face. He is not a reason then.

"When?" Ianto whispers, looking away from the man who has just claimed and broken his heart in a matter of minutes.

"When the tide is high and the water's rising." Jack says cryptically as he checks they are both fully dressed and opens the door.

"Doing okay in here?" John leers, standing just outside the door. 

"Check this out." He cocked his head and winks at Jack who frowns as he realises the man had been listening for a while.

John beckons them down the corridor and they follow slowly, Ianto at the back as he struggles to hide his emotions.

John leads them to another outer door and turns with a flourish. "It's pretty solid. One way in and a back door out, leading to the rear entrance."

"A good, sturdy door." Jack nods sarcastically, "So, what's your point?"

"What about it?" Ianto asks, frowning as well.

"It's rather cosy, don't you think?" John leans around Ianto to push to door shut, trapping the three of them in the small space. John sniffs Ianto and growls deep in his throat as he scents Jack on him.

"I don't believe this. You lured me back here to seduce me?" Ianto gapes as Jack laughs softly. 

"Well, the way things are going I thought this might be our last chance to, uh, to dance." John glances at Jack defiantly.

"Yeah." Jack huffs.

The sound of gunshots saves Ianto from having to decide between the two suitors and they rush to find Owen shaking, the rifle still powered up as he looks into the cell with horror.

"Fuck him," Owen spits, "whatever the fuck he is. He was doing my head in with the skin peeling thing."

"It's out of him." Yvonne cries, "Everyone go! Now!"

Suddenly Ianto slams as if he ran into an invisible wall, then he drops to the ground wailing.

"No" Jack roars as he watches the entity invade his new mate.

Ianto is writhing and frothing as he struggles against the thing tearing at his defences and Jack slumps as he watches Ianto fail.

"Let's take him out back." John demands.

"What the fuck do you mean?" Jack splutters as Owen gapes at the two men facing off.

"We ain't moving him anywhere." Jack shakes his head.

"It's taken him over, man." Owen realises as he raises the rifle, "There's nothing we can do."

"Easy, man," Jack reaches out to steady Owen, "I lost a brother in this. That's not him."

"Come on." John moves towards the convulsing man.

"Let's put him down, before they hear us." Owen raises his rifle and Jack slaps it away.

After Ianto starts to snarl, they drag him to the back door and as Jack struggles against John who holds him back, they dump Ianto into the red dirt.

"Oh." The third idiot holds up his hand and Jack sees Ianto's pillbox, "This belongs to him."

"Where did you get it?" Jack shakes John off and snatches it from his palm. 

"I stole it." He shrugs and steps back when he sees the anger in Jack's eyes.

"Do you know what it is?" Jack shakes his fist holding the silver box. "It's his stash. This will mess with anything in there."

"Bon voyage, baby" Jack whispers sadly as he pops a pill into Ianto's mouth in the hopes that his last moments turn to blissful ones and he rises to leave the writhing man on the ground.

"Come on. Let's get the hell back in here." John grabs Jack who struggles as he realises they are pulling him back inside and he cries out as they leave Ianto outside the safety of the building. 

" _I was aware of having thoughts or memories." Ianto tells the panel impassively, "Like I'd been invaded by something, and it was trying to take me over."_

 _The panel shifted and some leaned closer._

 _"Something inside of me wouldn't let that other thing take over, and I fought it. I didn't know where I was at first, and then it hit me. I was outside, alone...  
_

_Unarmed."_


	11. Chapter 11

Chap 11 

"The back Wall's been breached." Tosh cries as she checks the motion sensors.

"Don't worry, the back door's locked and secured." Owen reassures her with a pat to her shoulder as the others walk over to look.

"Let me in!" a voice comes over the speaker system, "It's me!"

"Shit. It's Ianto!" Jack cries, pushing past Tosh to activate the cameras at the back door.

Ianto is standing with his back against the door looking at the oncoming horde. He glances up at the camera with fear, "Open the door!"

"Looks like him to me." Owen concurs and goes to open the door but John grabs him and leans closer to the screen.

"Haven't heard any of these things speaking English." John mutters as he tries to decide if it's Ianto or not.

"Come on, Harkness, the tides getting high out here!" Ianto whimpers and Jack lunges for John.

"Give me those keys." Jack demands, "Come on!"

They swing open the door and Ianto turns to stare at Jack, panting on the other side.

"Is it you?" Jack asks with raw hope.

"Yes." Ianto steps into Jacks arms, "It's me."

 _I had a glimpse of the Martians, of their minds, of what they want. They won't rest short of the destruction of any invading species. As far as they're concerned, we are the invaders._

"Something's kicking out there." Owen runs up to the door they has just closed and looks though the small window.

"Shit. They made a battering ram." Owen splutters and Jack pushes him aside to peer out as well.

"All right, everybody to the rear of the jail." Ianto yells, backing away from the door.

"Owen, you and John go back to the storeroom. Load up on detonators." Ianto snaps, and Owen glances as John as thy both nod, "You're the second line of defence."

"So we stay here?" Jack says softly to Ianto.

"We hold them off as long as we can." Ianto looks into his beep blue eyes, "Then we fall back to the storeroom."

"You know soon as we kill one of them, whatever's inside's gonna come after us." Jack informs Ianto who nods slowly.

"I know. So if one of us gets possessed..."

"Leave them." Jack agrees privately knowing he will not leave Ianto again.

"Here we go." Jack fronts up and takes a shooting stance as the door starts to splinter in, "Party time."

They start shooting as they back towards the next set of doors.

"I'm out." Jack yells as he struggles to free another weapon, "I'm out."

"Move! Move!" Ianto roars as he adjusts his arc of bullets, watching his own meter run down.

"Clear!" Jack yells and the doors open to let them in,

"Clear!" Owen steps out of the doorway and opens fire as Jack helps Ianto back into the safety of the inner jail.

"Stand clear!" John has several tin grenades which he lobs with natural ease.

"Clear!" John yells, "Get out!"

Jack snarls as the doors start to buckle again, "I got it!"

"Take them out back." Ianto orders and Jack hesitates, "Better get out of here."

"Get back." Ianto yells again, looking in surprise as Jack sticks to his side.

"Come on!" Jack roars, opening fire again.

"Come on!" Ianto joins in and soon Owen staggers up to join the shooting spree. 

"Come on, let's go!" Ianto slaps the men on the shoulder and they run for the group who are now outside

"Look for the transporter. See if you can get someone on the radio." Ianto yells as we get into the mine vehicle.

"John, get this thing started." Ianto orders, "Owen, unlock the gate!"

"Come on, hurry up!" Ianto slaps the back of the driver's seat as John struggles to get the large vehicle fired up.

"The transporter is sitting at the pad." Tosh tells them as she is thrown around in the back, Owen reaching out to steady her. She smiles as he holds her in the seat, their companionship now apparent.

"Officer to transporter, do you read?" Tosh fiddles with the coms.

"This is the transporter, where have you been?" comes a voice over the speakers and they all laugh with relief.

"Where the hell have you been?" John snarks back.

"All right, calm down." The speakers demand, "Sato, calm down!"

"All right. Wait for us." John yells as he surges the vehicle to go faster.

"We're on our way. Tosh answers and cuts the connection with a whoop of joy.

"Let's go! Come on!" Jack stands at the open door of the transporter looking back at the crazy horde surging towards their position.

"Get in!" they race for the transporter and Tosh screams as a blade thrown from a crazy clips her leg, taking her down. Owen screams and runs to her, cradling her in his arms as more blades strike them.

They slump into each other as they die and Ianto can only watch with horror as his friends bleed out.

"No!" Ianto cries as Jack bodily hoists him into the transporter. As the doors close a blade clips Ianto and he cries out with pain, slumping against Jack.


	12. Chapter 12

Chap 12

"Get yourselves ready!" Rhys yells back into the carriage. 

"Oh, my." Gwen sees Ianto, "Come on!"

"Come on, let's go!" John screams as he pounds the driver's seat from behind, "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Come on!" Gwen urges her husband and he flips the switch to life the transporter off the ground.

'Okay, go! Go!"

.

.

.  
"What the hell happened to you?" John asks once they are in the air.

"We got trapped a couple of klicks north of here trying to offload." Rhys explains, "I'll get us out of here."

"We've gotta go back. Slow down outside of town, then come to a complete stop." John tells him.

"No way." Rhys snorts.

"I'm giving you an order." John snarls.

"I don't care." Rhys shoots back. "The answer's no." 

"The answer's yes." Ianto barks as he staggers into the cockpit, his arm bandaged roughly.

"Look, even if we get back to Cardiff," Rhys argues, "those things will just keep coming. We've got a chance here. We've got a chance to stop this thing before it goes any further."

"This is about one thing:" Jack says with open malice, "Dominion. It's not their planet anymore."

"What about him?" John asks Ianto, "Isn't our job to take him back? Is he still a prisoner, or is he one of us?"

"I can give a damn about saving this planet." Jack says to the room, "Seems like it's been after me since the day I was born. If I die, I'm gonna die fighting, not running."

Hey, Yvonne, if we blew up the nuclear power station, what would happen?" Ianto asks the woman standing at the back of the room, "I mean, there'd be a huge explosion, right?"

"No, not unless you retract the control rods and expose the core." She huffs.

"Then what?"

"Well, then you'd have a small atomic bomb, going "boom." OK?"

"How small?" Jack shifts to stand by Ianto again.

"I don't know. It'd blow out a radius of a mile, maybe two."

"Would it kill them?" Ianto demands.

"It'd certainly destroy their human hosts, but as for them..." she shrugs, "Hell, I don't know."

"John, can you get us in?" Ianto turns and John considers.

"I can try."

.

.

.

 _The plan was simple. Sgt. Hart, the science officer and I jumped off the train and headed towards the power plant. The others stayed aboard the transporter as it hovered above the pad. The idea was they'd provide cover and distract the Martians as we set the charges in the plant. Then they'd swing back, pick us up, Like I said, it was a simple plan. The only problem was it didn't work the way it was supposed to.  
_.

.

.

"How you doing, John?" Ianto asks as John fuddles with the door to the plant.

"I'm working on it." He mutters.

"Hurry up." Jack warns as the crazies start to come.

"I'm gonna remove the water jacket and destroy the containment shell." Jack says as John opens up the man screen for the facility.

"Okay, so where do I put the dynamite?" Ianto demands as he strides through the building.

"Officer to the transporter, they've spotted us." John barks as he finalises his work, "Get your ass back here now."

"Let's go" Jack pulls Ianto towards the pickup zone, "We've got to get out of here fast. The doc says the blast radius could be up to two miles."

"So, what's that mean?" John asks as he falls into step.

"It means step on it!" Jack starts to run, Ianto tucked into his arm.

"Stay here and keep it full throttle." Rhys tells his wife and Gwen turns to look at him. "What are you gonna do?"

"Lighten our load." He snarls, "I think there's some more dynamite in the rear car."

"Come on baby" Jack swings Ianto into the transporter and reaches back for John. Who slams the door with a satisfying crunch on a crazy's hand.

"See you later, you big motherfucker!" Jack snarls as he hits the detonator remote control.

As they swing into the air a blast of fire lights up the sky and they get a forward push.

"You okay?" Jack asks as he peers at the leg.

"I didn't know you was cut this deep." Jack sighs, "Should have taken care of this hours ago."

"You do that like a pro." Ianto smiles as Jack dresses the wound.

"Yeah. Me and my brother have been through a lot of battles ever since we was kids." Jack smiles as he lets his fingers slide down the arm to find the hand in need of a squeeze.

"I never thought I'd go to war with somebody like you." Ianto sighs as he starts to fade, the drugs that kept him going are finally burning out.

"I know when you get to base you'll tell those people that I helped you," Jack soothed as he stroked Ianto's brow and encouraged him to sleep, "and I wasn't the cause of all this mess around here."

"Because I know they're looking for somebody to blame." Ianto said softly, settling further into the bed, "I swear to you, Jack, as soon as I get back, I'm gonna tell my superiors all about this fucked-up planet. They'll drop the charges as soon as they get the report."

"Okay." Jack whispers, leaning in for a light kiss, "That ought to hold it. When you get there, have somebody look at it. I couldn't get it perfect, so it might leave a scar."

"I'm getting a collection." Ianto slurs.

"You'll be all right." Jack smiles, "Comfortable?"

"Yeah." Ianto sighs.

"I'll get you a blanket." Jack leans forward and there is the sound of handcuffs clicking.


	13. Chapter 13

Chap 13

 _WARNING SMUTT CHAPTER_

"What the hell are you doing?" Ianto fights feebly, the blood loss sapping him of the ability to throw Jack off as the second cuff clicks into the bedframe.

"Oh, this is where I get off." Jack kisses him more deeply, letting his body lay across the man beneath him.

Ianto whines and struggles some more, then bites Jack bottom lip. Jack grunts and bucks against him, their groins rubbing deliciously. "Ahhhhh, baby. Gotta go. I'm taking John with me, makes a good partner"

"What are you talking about?" Ianto pleads, not wanting this to be over. Not wanting to lose what he just found. Really not wanting Hart to replace him in this man's bed.

"We'll be back at head base soon." Jack sighs as he slides off his lover, "Can't let you turn me in."

"I can't let you walk." Ianto sneers with fake bravado, which earns him a soft smile.

"What are you going to do?" Jack laughs, "Fucking shoot me?"

"Look, there's nowhere to run." Ianto points out, "We're in the fucking air!"

Jack kisses him more roughly, then rises to struggle with their trousers. This time he impales himself on Ianto who is starting to feel blissed out and he idly realises that in the process of kissing Jack had slipped something under his tongue.

He is lazily bucking as he cries out with lust and pleasure, Jack lost in his own euphoria as he grinds down.

"Jack" Ianto sighs as Jack climbs off and fixes their clothes, "Don't leave me."

"Anywhere is better than hell." Jack saluted and ducked out of the door to the loading bay, "Catch you later."

"Yeah, right." Ianto snorts, "Shit."

As the drugs Jack slipped him take effect he doesn't hear the battle that occurs at the back of the transporter, or the back hatch opening.

.

.

.  
 _"And what happened to Harkness? And Hart?"_

 _"I don't know." Ianto tells the panel with a disinterested shrug, "When I woke up, they was gone."_

 _"And you were handcuffed?"  
_

" _He must have done it while I slept." Ianto nods, "At that point I trusted him."_

 _"That's all you have to tell me? No explanation of the bloodbath in the back? Who set the auto pilot?"  
_

" _That's all I know." Ianto says sadly, looking contrite._

 _"All right, Lt. Jones, I suggest you get some rest." The head of the panel advised, "You're dismissed."_

 _As Ianto rises to leave, he salutes and then walks to the door. He can hear the conversation starting before the door closes._

 _"Is our statement to the Cartel going to be that Mars is being overrun by ghosts?"_

.

.

.

Ianto wakes to the feeling of another body in the bed. He rolls over and snuggles into the warmth as Jack grunts and pulls him closer.

That they believed him was amazing. He had just walked out of the inquiry and Ianto found Jack waiting for him by his quarters, John hanging back with a silly grin.

As Ianto contemplates this, a third body rubs against him from the back.

John is waking as well and Ianto moans as the previous night's celebrations have left him loose and wanton.

"Hey eye-candy" John whispers as he rubs Ianto's belly to ask permission. Ianto throws his leg back and sighs as John gently slides into the still lubed hole.

Jack mutters and shifts as the bed starts to shake.

"Starting without me fuckers" he mumbles, reaching for the glorious dick flapping against Ianto's stomach.

The PA system crackles into life and the men freeze in the bed. They all look at the wall where the speaker is mounted as in all quarters.

 **Attention all police personnel. Report to your nearest munitions station immediately for weaponry assignment. A security breach has occurred in the south quadrant. This is a level 10 emergency. All police personnel, report to your division sergeant for assignment. All civilian personnel evacuate the streets immediately. Please remain indoors until further instructed.  
**

"Come on!" John falls from the bed and struggles into his pants and Jack hands Ianto's to him. "Fuck, they're here."

"Tide is up. Time to stay alive." Jack grins like they're are going on a date.

Screaming starts in the distance and they all shiver.

"If you ever want to come to the other side, you'd make a hell of a crook." Jack banters as they all tool up.

"You'd make a hell of a cop." Ianto shoots back.

All three of them freeze. Then in unison, "Nah."

"Let's just kick some ass!" Jack snarls, pulling Ianto in for a searing kiss. "It's what we do best."

THE END

Thanks for reading.


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